The present invention relates to rear projection displays and, in particular, to an immersive rear projection display that includes a curved display screen.
Standard computer-related and television displays have width-to-height aspect ratios of 1.33:1. The greater relative width of standard displays accommodates in part the relatively greater horizontal field of view of human vision. However, the relative horizontal field of view of human vision is significantly greater than the 1.33:1 aspect ratio of standard displays. As a consequence, a variety of display formats have been developed to better accommodate the relatively greater horizontal field of view of human vision. For example, high-definition television (HDTV) displays are characterized by aspect ratios of 16:9 (i.e., about 1.78:1), and the wide-screen cinematic displays such as Cinemascope(copyright) and Super Panavision(copyright) have aspect ratios of 2.35:1 and 2.55:1, respectively.
Some electronic- or computer-based display systems project a display image onto a display screen for viewing by typically multiple viewers. These display systems employ an electronic or multimedia optical projector that may use liquid crystal cells, digital micro-mirrors, etc. to form a display image that is projected onto a display screen. Such electronic projectors are available under a variety of trademarks including Sony(copyright), Hitachi(copyright), Sharp(copyright), In Focus(copyright), Epson(copyright), etc. In some implementations, the electronic projector is positioned in front of a reflective display screen (i.e., on the same side of the screen as the viewer). In other implementations, the electronic projector is positioned behind a translucent display screen (i.e., on the opposite side of the screen relative to the viewer). Conventional electronic projectors provide display images with the standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio.
The present invention provides an immersive rear projection display capable or providing aspect ratios of 2.66:1 or 4:1, or even greater. This allows viewers to be immersed in the images being displayed because they can encompass both the direct and the peripheral views of a viewer. In one implementation, the immersive rear projection display includes two or more electronic projectors (e.g., three) that are positioned behind a curved translucent display screen. The electronic projectors project respective display images adjacent each other onto the display screen.
The display screen is curved laterally about a vertical axis and reduces or eliminates perspective distortion that can otherwise occur at the edges of a flat screen. The display screen may be formed as a generally continuous curve with substantially no discontinuities in the curvature. In some implementations, the display may include pincushion distortion-compensating optical elements in association with the electronic projectors to compensate for pincushion distortion arising from projection of display images onto the curved display screen. Another aspect of this invention is that it may be implemented as a large-scale display for multiple viewers or in association with a desktop workspace that is configured and sized for viewing generally by only one viewer.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.